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England > Stornoway Half Marathon, 10K & Fun Run
Stornoway,
Scotland, UK
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Date
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Event
Details
The tree-lined grounds of Lews Castle along with the windswept coastal
roads of this island in Scotland's Western Hebrides make for a
particularly scenic and out-of-the-ordinary race route at the annual
springtime running of the Stornoway Half Marathon, 10K & Fun
Run, which takes runners along a combination paved and off-road course
here on the Isle of Lewis, nestled just offshore from the mainland in
the northwestern corner of the United Kingdom, just miles across the
water from Scotland. The race, perhaps fittingly for this town of
roughly 6,000 souls, is one of the UK's smaller half marathons, drawing
just over 130 runners for the event's 13.1-mile race in recent years.
Runners follow quite a circuitous route through Stornoway and along the
coast of its harbor, around the Lews Castle College grounds and past
the Stornoway Golf Course. The first six miles or so of the race are
run on paved roads through the town, starting at Lews Castle and
heading southward along the water and then eastward along the harbor,
turning north at North Street and then again towards the west at
Constable Road.
The course for the race takes a few more turns through town before
heading out into its more off-road sections, made up mostly of gravel
paths through the Lews Castle College grounds. These sections of the
race are among its most scenic, as the pastoral green trees and fields
of the grounds provide ample shade from the sun as runners head for
portions alongside the winding river that flows through the property.
Runners will cross two bridges in the second half of the race, and the
paths narrow considerably both before and after each bridge, though
they widen once again after runners have crossed them and headed back
out onto the gravel paths.
The finishing stretch of the race takes runners along roughly two miles
along the western side of the Stornoway Harbor, in toward the finish
line at the Porters Lodge arch on Macaulay Road. In addition to the
half-marathon (which starts at 10:00 AM), the event also features a 10K
at 10:15 AM and a two-mile fun run for participants of all ages, which
starts at 10:30 AM.
Interested runners who have the time and inclination to participate
should note that the Stornoway Half Marathon is part of Scotland's
Hebridean Race Challenge, a series of five half marathon races around
the Hebrides that also includes the Benbecula Half Marathon and Isle of
Skye Half Marathon in June, and the Isle of Barra Half Marathon and the
Isle of Harris Half Marathon in July.
Race
Weather & Climate
Located on the Isle of Lewis, one of the series of islands known as the
Western (or Outer) Hebrides that lie off Scotland's northwest coast,
the town of Stornoway is situated rather far north in the U.K., and
thus may experience cool and perhaps even cold weather conditions, even
relatively late in the spring. Light rain or rain showers are always a
possibility, and the town's average monthly temperatures range between
12°C and 6°C in May.
Fees
£12 for Scottish Athletics-affiliated runners
£14 for non-members
Registration
To reserve your spot in the spring 2009 running of Scotland's
Stornoway Half Marathon, register online at Born2Run.co.uk
or print out and mail in this downloadable entry form.
Website
www.srac.co.uk
Course Map
View Larger Map
Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in Scotland's annual Stornoway Half Marathon, 10K or Fun Run?
Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Post your comments in Runner Reviews for the Stornoway Half
Marathon
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